A reader of Cruise Law News informs us that the Carnival Glory became stuck near the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico this afternoon after the cruise ship dropped several hundred feet of anchor chain and an anchor. The Carnival ship had just left Old San Juan (El Morro). A Carnival crew member states that the cruise ship's starboard anchor became stuck after the ship left port.

There are several on line videos of the Carnival Glory stranded outside of the port.

A crew member states that the anchor chain was cut and the anchor left in the water, and the ship finally was able to sail away, headeding toward the next stops on its itinerary, the Turks and Caicos.

The last time that I heard about an anchor being dropped at sea while the ship was underway was when an intoxicated passenger aboard Holland America Line's Ryndamsnuck into a restricted area on the ship and released the vessel's anchor as the cruise ship was returning to Tampa from Costa Maya, Mexico over seven years ago. The FBI arrested the passenger on felony charges of attempting to “damage, destroy, disable, or wreck a vessel."

Today, I received a message that the Viking Sea was in Barcelona, Spain waiting for repairs to fix an unidentified engine problem.

I received this message: "Don't know have you been informed about Viking Sea being stuck in Barcelona for more than 10 days, while all guests were disembark, almost same thing like Star last year in Talin . . . "

Online AIS shows the Viking ship at the port in Barcelona today after leaving the port of Barcelona last night heading (apparently toward its next port of call, Toulon) but then turning around and sailing back to Barcelona.

Viking has informed its guests that they are free to stay on the cruise ship until January 8, 2017. The company is apparently assisting the passengers with excursions. The guests can leave the ship and catch earlier flights home although many seem inclined to enjoy their unexpected time in Barcelona.

A number of news sources are reporting that a NCL cruise ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, was delayed in the Hudson River after one of its thrusters malfunctioned this morning.

The Daily News reported that the Breakaway, while returning to New York after a week-long Caribbean cruise, lost its steering as it headed toward Pier 88 on the West Side when a thruster malfunctioned.

Coast Guard officials said they were notified of the predicament around 7:45 AM, and a tug boat assisted the cruise ship to the pier around 10 AM.

NCL didn't mention any type of propulsion problem. A NCL spokeperson said “The ship was slightly delayed because of strong currents in the Hudson River.”

A cruise passenger @NoelDallacco tweeted that the incident was not a big deal. She posted a photo of a tug pushing the NCL cruise ship to port.

NCL cruise ships have experienced problems trying to make it into New York piers in the past. In 2012, the Norwegian Star cruise ship struck the pier next to an aircraft carrier at the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan. In 2008, the Norwegian Spirit smashed Pier 90 while trying to dock at Pier 88.

Ten days ago, there was dramatic video posted on Facebook and Twitter when NCL's Norwegian Gem was attempting to return to port to attempt a medical disembark after a passenger was injured. The cruise ship began drifting sideways toward an anchored tanker and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. (The pilot aboard the NCL ship sounds like Woody Allen). The video is from NY Harbor Webcam:

May 6 2014 Update: According to a NBC news station, "A dead 30-foot whale found on the Brooklyn side of New York Harbor Monday morning may have gotten tangled in the steering system of a cruise ship, disabling the boat for several hours, authorities said Tuesday.

The whale was found near Pier 4 on Monday, and towed to the New Jersey side of the harbor.

The NOAA Fisheries Service said it is believed to have been struck by the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, which then stalled for several hours in the Hudson River as it was preparing to dock in Manhattan Sunday.

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